Chapter One
September 2001
Juliana rushed past a strange man who seemed to be fascinated by the blue tiles on the floor at the subway station, her hair streaming behind her as she hurried to make the train. What made me decide to move here? She wondered to herself. She had thought that moving here was the chance of a lifetime. Her friends and family had warned her it would be hard but as stubborn as she was, she didn't care. She was going to make her dreams come true. Little did she know that now, a full year later, she'd be rushing through a subway station to go to work as a waitress at a casual Italian restaurant. She couldnr17;t even afford new photos for her portfolio, much less actually get any jobs. In one year she found that she hadnr17;t accomplished much of anything. She had gone through a million interviews and still heard nothing from them, which was highly frustrating.
On a day like today she wished she would have listened to her family and friends back home in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was truly her home and she felt guilty at wanting to leave but she had goals and dreams that she set out to make them a reality.
She was already late as it was and everyone in the damned station seemed to want Juliana fired. At least that's what she told herself every day as everyone rushed around trying to get to his or her destinations, pushing past her and knocking into her as they went on their way. She knew this city was always alive and although she considered Pittsburgh as a busy city too. It was just nothing like this one. Everyone always seemed to be on the run. She knew for sure John would have some kind of sermon for her whenever she finally arrived at the restaurant.
When she first moved to New York City she was a more naïve than she was now. She had graduated from high school and spent an entire year working day and night at a local diner in Pittsburgh to save enough money to make her move to New York. She then realized it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. She had won little beauty contests here and there throughout high school and she wanted to make a career of it, so NYC was where she told her parents she wanted to go.
And now here she was in the middle of yet another packed subway train station on her way to work at Jake's Italian Restaurant. She had taken this job as a waitress after realizing her modeling career was not heading in the right direction. Hell, it wasn't heading in any direction at this point, she thought. Luckily for her, Jake's was a great job to have. It was located in the dead center of Times Square and lots of celebrities showed up all the time because the place had a reputation for having the best Italian cuisine in town. She liked her job and it helped to pay her ever-rising bills. Still, as much as she liked her job, that wasnr17;t why she was in NYC. But she couldn't just wait around for an agency to call -- she needed an income, and fast -- so she took the job. She was experienced and although she tended to have a tad of an attitude sometimes. all her regular customers at the restaurant loved her. She was funny and charismatic, but as rude as a true New Yorker when pushed. She wasn't like that back home at the small diner but she figured living and working in a town like Manhattan changes people's attitudes.
It was now twenty-five minutes into her shift and she was running out of the subway train and up the steps outside. She thanked God that Jake's was right across the street. It was Friday afternoon, the busiest day of the week. She had been expected to start work at two o'clock sharp and it was now two-thirty. "John is going to have another lecture for me," she mumbled to herself as she crossed the never-quiet street. Great. She was late and for some reason everything seemed to take longer today. John was a nice guy -- too nice at times, in her opinion -- especially with her. He was also a good friend of hers since she moved to New York, but when it came to work he made his dad proud. Juliana understood where he came from in that aspect because she lived to make her parents proud of her. If only they knew I'm not doing so great.
She walked past the front windows of Jake's and she saw John standing by the bar looking at his watch. Juliana immediately walked over to the other side and went in the employee door. She walked in only to find Anthony right in front of her. He was a middle-aged man straight from Italy and he spoke broken English but was the sweetest guy ever. He was a tall big muscular guy, which had surprised Juliana at first. He looks nothing like a chef! She had told John. He wasn't only the best chef around but he doubled, as he liked to call her, as little Ana's bodyguard at night when she went home.
"Whoa," she said as she held onto the door to keep her balanced. "Is he fuming?"
"I wouldn't go near him at this point," he said in a deep accent. She smiled at him and walked over to the employee lounge area and quickly put her stuff in her locker, then grabbed a pencil off the counter and strategically placed it in her hair to hold all the never ending curls up. She had mastered this technique over the months at Jake's. She grabbed her order-pad and headed out the lounge to the bar where she hoped John had left.
"Get in here Juliana" she heard someone call behind her as she walked past the storage closet behind the bar. He's mad. He called me Juliana, she said to herself as she slowly walked in to the room.
"Hey Johnny, I'm really sorry I swear the subway gets more packed every..." Her breathless excuses were interrupted when he just reached behind her and closed the door. That meant it was lecture time.
"Damnit, Juls," he said, just standing there staring at her as if he felt bad that he had to talk to her this way. Juliana knew he had always wanted a relationship with her but she wasn't interested. So instead they decided it was best they were just friends. Well, she decided, but who's keeping tabs? But she knew he had feelings for her and she never once took advantage of that. She had plenty of opportunities but she would never hurt him or anyone else that way. Juliana always tried to do the right thing, something really hard to do while living in NY trying to become a model. Sometimes she felt like joining in with the snide remarks and gossip everyone else seemed to do, but she always heard her mom or dad whispering in her ear if she did something rude. Itr17;s like they followed her everywhere she went! But she knew it was really her conscience talking and a part of her was proud that she still had some moral and standards.
"I know, Johnny, I was late and I know I promised to be here early today but New York is crazy! Please understand why--"
"Juls, I don't know what to do with you anymore. What am I supposed to tell my father when he walks in the door and sees that one of my waitresses is constantly late? Not to mention the fact that I let you slide all the time," he looked at her and sighed. He quickly noticed he was staring and cleared his throat, continuing on. "Not to mention the other girls. They seem to think that I favor you and give you special days off when you need it. I have to admit you are one of my best friends, but you have to get on the same page with me here. I can't keep letting you slide every time you get caught in the subway. It's not fair to the rest of the waitresses and it's not fair to me. I'm sorry but this is the last time you are late. If your17;re late again, I'm going to have to let you go. I love you but I can't--r1; He hated to be this way with her but he had a restaurant to run and a best friend to keep track of.
"I promise, Johnny! I swear --r1; John had heard this speech way to many times before so he cut her off.
"I don't need any promises, Juls, just show me you want and need to keep this job,r1; he finished and turned to head back to the bar area.
"Wait a sec -- are we still on for tonight?" she asked anxiously, worrying that sher17;d blown a great friendship.
"Of course, why wouldn't we be?" he told her, smiling brightly at her. She had to admit he was a cutie. But to her he was like her guardian angel besides Anthony, the over-protective chef, but she loved him for it. Not to mention that anyone else wouldr17;ve probably fired her on the spot. Yet here he was giving her another chance, one she was determined not to blow.
"Juliana," Angie called Juliana from the bar. "You have tables fifty-two through sixty-four. I'm sorry I had to give most of your tables to Melissa and Jaime today when you didn't show up on time."
"Great," Juliana answered. She detested those two girls who seemed to be attached at the hip. Fresh out of high school, the two girls were clearly two bimbos. It was sad to watch, but Juliana found it entertaining at times. "I bet they are goofing off and having the time of their lives tonight as usual?"
"All Jaime has been talking about for the last five minutes is that Chris from NSync is at one of her tables," Angie laughed. Melissa and Jaime hated the fact that it seemed like Juliana always got to wait on the occasional celebrities. After all, Angie didn't want to scare away customers with her brusque New York attitude. Celebrity or not, she treated every one the same. Harshly.
"Well I guess I better warn Chris," she laughed and walked towards Chris' table
"So I thought they had broken up?" Melissa said to Jaime, as the two stood observing Chris Kirkpatrick and his pretty girlfriend who they just happened to know was named Danielle.
"Well, I guess not. I mean he's here with her so who knows? I think I'm going to ask if Justin's going to make it here today. You know we've worked here for three months now and nothingr17;s happened! He needs to show up already," Jaime said, frustrated.
"Maybe he's heard that two psychos are after him so he decided to stay away," Juliana joked from behind the bar. "In which case you guys can quit cause he'll never show up after haring about you two.r1;
"Oh whatever, Julie, or whatever your name is,r1; Melissa snapped, upset that her dream most likely wasnr17;t going to come walking through the door of their restaurant after all.
"Oh whatever," Juliana mocked them. "Why don't you guys get back to your tables before I have to take them all?" Both girls just gave Juliana a dirty look and turned around to walk away. "Go ahead girls, don't be scared," Juliana teased from the bar. She had to laugh at those two idiots.
"Hey guys, how are you?" Juliana asked one of the funniest customers she'd ever had and the pretty blonde sitting across from him.
"Hey Juls," Chris said to her smiling. "Long time no see."
"Well, you know I don't really have time for boy bands anymore so I try to avoid them as much as possible," Juliana said seriously.
"Good one, Juliana," Danielle said giving her a high five. "So how have you been doing, girl?"
"Actually the same old thing, agency to agency, is there something really wrong with me? Shut it, Chris, I didn't ask you," Juliana put her hands up to stop whatever comment was surely coming out of his mouth. Danielle enjoyed every minute of it.
"What? I wasn't going to say anything,r1; Chris argued, all of them knowing her was lying through his teeth.
" I'm sorry guys, but I don't have this table tonight so you'll have to deal with dumb and dumber over there," she pointed to Melissa and Jaime.
"Hey, now be nice, Juliana." Chris said in a fatherly voice. "But I'll give them hell for ya," he said with a wink.
"Thatr17;s my boy, I taught you well," Juliana laughed as she walked to one of her tables.
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